Superman's qualities do not necessarily make him boring. Grant Morrison's All Star Superman run is full of this and does not make Supes boring in the slightest. Superman Returns does not capture any of the wonder of Superman - the plane rescue is an excellent visceral sequence but it is the only part of the movie that approaches this.

As for Returns being "not afraid to NOT deliver exactly what its fan base knows, wants and feels safe with" - err, did you not see the Donner film from 78? Singer gave people basically the exact same thing again. Wow, another scene where Supes holds Lois and flies around over Metropolis... zzzzzzzzzz. Oooh, Luthor's girlfriend has betrayed him again... zzzzzzzz. The audience were not only comfortable with it, they fairly snoozed through it.

I do not think Superman is a boring character or Bryan Singer a bad director. But I do consider Superman Returns a wasted opportunity of a film that makes several very bad decisions. The kid, as I said before, is now a massive albatross around the neck of not only Superman as a character (how does he not tell Lois who he is now? He is a schmuck), but the franchise as a whole.

How can people moan about S. Returns. Jesus, before that came along we were going to be treated to a McG directed version, or a version starring Nic Cage, or a complete reboot altogether in which everything familiar about the character was stripped away to appeal to the hip young kiddies, who obviously know everything cool. You know, every now and then you have to be thankful for what you are given. True, the film is not perfect (what is?) but it certainly is not plagurist, as the extra features on the DVD are quite open in that Singer himself sought Donners blessing. Which was given without a moments hesitation I might add, can you imagine the Bond films, or the upcoming Indy film, without their key themes. Thought not. Singer did not have to push for the theme...but he did anyway, as he knew we would care..and got it. The film was not boring. The plane rescue, bank robbery/eye-bullet deflection were first rate action sequences that actually, get this, augmented the story rather than threaten to overwash the characters. True, Lois Lane was a casting issue, but I would sooner have Bosworth any day of the week as L. Lane than Nic Cage as Supes. Sorry..that's a casting issue. I didn't find the film boring...what a cretinous statement. Singer did nothing short of rescue Superman from Hollywood development/tinkering hell. A version starring Nic Cage, with Mc G directing would have been something to moan about. Also, I admit, I would like to see a scene in which the kid is booted, American football style, from the surface of the earth...but you cant have everything you know.

For me it wasn't about the lack of action which damaged the last film it was the characterisation and the apparent lack of understanding over the character. Making him a peeping tom who actively attempts to break up a family for his own selfish reasons and sneaks into childrens rooms at night without permission of the mother made him somewhat slimy and creepy. The lack of dynamisc and chemistry between Superman and Lois Lane also didn't help or did the bitchy and selfish Lois Lane and the totally disfunctional Clark Kent and the attitude of Lois Lane to Kent which was bullyingly dismissive rather than the playfully competitive nature which has worked so well in the past.

Correct these errors and get rid of gormless plank boy (and a few other errors such as hiring a continuity checker which was noticably missing in Returns) and he may be on the way to improving the character without the necessity to fill the film with pure action.

I totally loved SR! I think it's a beautiful and timeless film, and it made me care about Superman again. Bryan Singer is a great director, and I'm sure he will do a great sequel, no doubt. He has said that it will be more action packed, faster, and meaner, and I can't wait to see it!! But the best thing is to see Brandon Routh return as the Man of Steel, I think he makes such a perfect Superman! He was an inspired choice for the role of this iconic superhero.

Superman is the most boring of all superheroes anyway. And I quote comic book store guy from The Simpsons; CBSG : "Who would be suitable for this situation (upon seeing a crisis in Springfield)? The Flash? Green Lantern?" Passer by : "How about Superman?" CBSG : "(sarcastic disapproving drawl) Oh, please...". Superman is dull and out of date. Come to think of it, why dont they take the budget for Superman Lives/Comes Again/Redux/Whatever and spend it on a Green Lantern movie AND a Flash movie. Two for the price of a shit one.

Understandably people found Superman Returns, I myself did because of the lack of action. Whilst Routh didnt do a bad job donning the trademark cape and tights, as Clark Kent his character lacked what Reeves did effortlesly. Routh's Kent was trying to hard to be geeky and just wasnt quite right. In my opinion for there to be any chance of pleasing everyone next time around there needs to be a new challenge for Superman. Whilst Lex Luthor is a great character we have seen to much of him. Why not bring in a character used in the comics like Doomsday, with todays CGI he could look amazing on the big screen and the action would be incredible. I know that they recently made a Doomsday cartoon movie but it would be even better to see some of the same kind of action they used in that cartoon in real time and in a theatre. I Think that if a movie like that we to be made everyone would want to see it. But hey thats just my opinion!

I like that Bryan Singer both recognizes the lack of action in SUPERMAN RETURNS and does not apologize for it. There was absolutely a HUGE nostalgia factor in that film, and I'm really excited to see a Superman that (shudder) throws punches. I absolutely recognize and understand the problems that people had with SUPERMAN RETURNS - hell, I had a few myself - but I continue to have the utmost faith in Bryan Singer as a director and a storyteller, and I am eager and excited to see what he does in THE MAN OF STEEL. Brainiac? Please?

Look you can't hide behind this excuse "you can't please all the people all of the time". Ummm Mr. Singer, the original Superman is pretty universally recognized as great so actually you CAN please all the people all of the time. Make a movie that is worth a damn and it will be liked. Do not indulge your gay fetish by focusing on Superman's package and casting a Lois Lane that you can go on vapid shopping sprees with, but who has no discernible talent. Rachel McAdams would have been an AWESOME Lois Lane. Not only can she actually act, as opposed to Kate Bosworth, but she radiates intelligence and beauty which is what you want from Lois Lane. If you make a new one take a note from Batman and replace your lead lady, please. Also give me a bad guy that is actually scary and not played with homoerotic tendencies that make you feel like Superman is his ex lover or comething. "Nuff said!

My wife and I loved Superman Returns! It had romance, humor, and action...and Brandon Routh was perfect for the role. I would love to see a sequel with Brandon, Kate, Kevin, and James. I found it very odd that so many people hated the movie. Maybe it wasn't perfect, but how could it be? Most fans of the Superman story had grown up with the comic books, television show, or the first series of movies. We had expectations, many of which could never be met no matter who directed or who starred. Superman Returns stands alone as a great continuation of a fantastic story, and I am not alone when I say bring on the sequel!

Come to think of it, why dont they take the budget for Superman Lives/Comes Again/Redux/Whatever and spend it on a Green Lantern movie AND a Flash movie.

Two reasons:

1. Neither of those characters is as popular as Superman always has been. 2. If it weren't for Superman being so popular when comic book stories were first introduced, we likely wouldn't even have the other superheroes.

I personally thought that Superman Returns was brilliant. there was a real effort made to ensure that all aspects of Superman were addressed. i cant believe anyone would say Superman is boring! there is no super hero that could beat him (without the help of kryptonite). I think that if Superman Returns had concentrated on the action instead of storyline and understanding the mentallity of the man of steal it would have been much less of a film than it is.

JUST GOES TO SHOW...what empty suits are running Warner Bros. if they allow this Singer guy to direct the next Superman when he ruined the last one. Bottom Line, Superman Returns wasn't fun, it was boring and confused. To hell with the Superman Fanbase that has been pleading to bring in a new director....Singer will screw the next one up...guaranteed....And concerning the ridiculous storyline of Superman's Super kid....I just hope he's at summer camp for this next film..... Move on Singer, you had your chance and screwed it up...please just go away, move on to something else....you suck and so did your long drawn out overdone ridiculous Xmen movies.

Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent was amazing! Brandon Routh as Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent was...difficult to watch. Not that Routh did a bad job, just that I wanted to see a new take on the man of steel, not an impersonation. Singer can cite the magic four hundred million all he wants, but that does nothing to prove how good his movie was. All it proves is how many people were willing to pay good money in hope that Singer would give them what they had been waiting for. I can only speak for myself, but I didn't get what I wanted. Instead of an exciting new Superman movie that would take full advantage of current special effects tech to show us a Superman we could never get on film before. I expected villains actually capable of going head to head with Supes and the onscreen battles to be beyond spectacular!!! What I got was...a poor story that plays havoc with the Superman mythos, a sad, meloncholy, heart broken Superman, and an unneeded role for Singer's boytoy, Marsden. I could have probably overlooked some of the things singer did wrong, if he had done one simple thing: Make the movie FUN!!! Sadly, he didn't.

Sorry Brian..I like the 2 Xmen movies but yr Superman Returns stinks. too much melodramatic scene and that was not the main problem. The issue was with the Villian..gosh..how bad can Lex be whencompared to other SuperVillians in Superman series? Now that u have been given the 2nd chance, do the right thing

Don't walk the Spiderman path..be original and creative. just like you did marvellously in Xmen2

I am big fan of the movie. and of Superman. Singer did a great job, it had high expectations and it isnt easy revampng a fanbase, but he did it. He kept the fans and made some new ones.... bring on the sequel!!!

_____________________________

I'm depressed. Why did I listen to my parents? I should have become a ping-pong pro.

I enjoyed Superman returns up to a point, it ticked alot of the boxes and took me back to the first 2 Superman films, Superman the Movie and Superman 11, well apart from the dodgy effects of course (and yes the effects looked a bit ify even back then), but I do agree, with some of my fellow Empire readers it did fall down on the action (a little) so lets hope the action is higher now that we know who everyone is.

Superman is THE greatest superhero of all time. And Superman Returns was a fantastic movie, can't wait for the sequel.Any of you who might have dismissed the first movie should give it another try and see the sheer amount of quality on screen!

Considering how bad bryan singer's superman movie was, i don't see how making another one is going make me change my mind that brandon routh is a bad superman and never will be as good as christopher reeve.

JUST GOES TO SHOW...what empty suits are running Warner Bros. if they allow this Singer guy to direct the next Superman when he ruined the last one. Bottom Line, Superman Returns wasn't fun, it was boring and confused. To hell with the Superman Fanbase that has been pleading to bring in a new director....Singer will screw the next one up...guaranteed....And concerning the ridiculous storyline of Superman's Super kid....I just hope he's at summer camp for this next film..... Move on Singer, you had your chance and screwed it up...please just go away, move on to something else....you suck and so did your long drawn out overdone ridiculous Xmen movies.

Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent was amazing! Brandon Routh as Christopher Reeve as Superman/Clark Kent was...difficult to watch. Not that Routh did a bad job, just that I wanted to see a new take on the man of steel, not an impersonation. Singer can cite the magic four hundred million all he wants, but that does nothing to prove how good his movie was. All it proves is how many people were willing to pay good money in hope that Singer would give them what they had been waiting for. I can only speak for myself, but I didn't get what I wanted. Instead of an exciting new Superman movie that would take full advantage of current special effects tech to show us a Superman we could never get on film before. I expected villains actually capable of going head to head with Supes and the onscreen battles to be beyond spectacular!!! What I got was...a poor story that plays havoc with the Superman mythos, a sad, meloncholy, heart broken Superman, and an unneeded role for Singer's boytoy, Marsden. I could have probably overlooked some of the things singer did wrong, if he had done one simple thing: Make the movie FUN!!! Sadly, he didn't.

I think Singer did a great job and I will look forward to his next superman film! He put a lot of thought and character development into Superman Returns. If you dont like the plot or writing or whatever then thats your opinion but if you are just craving an action packed blockbuster then thats disappointing and its that attitude that means we are piled up with overblown budget crap week in week out.

For me it wasn't about the lack of action which damaged the last film it was the characterisation and the apparent lack of understanding over the character. Making him a peeping tom who actively attempts to break up a family for his own selfish reasons and sneaks into childrens rooms at night without permission of the mother made him somewhat slimy and creepy. The lack of dynamisc and chemistry between Superman and Lois Lane also didn't help or did the bitchy and selfish Lois Lane and the totally disfunctional Clark Kent and the attitude of Lois Lane to Kent which was bullyingly dismissive rather than the playfully competitive nature which has worked so well in the past.

Correct these errors and get rid of gormless plank boy (and a few other errors such as hiring a continuity checker which was noticably missing in Returns) and he may be on the way to improving the character without the necessity to fill the film with pure action.

He didn't actively try to break up a family. He just wanted to explain to Lois why he had to go away and where he went. Plus it's his child so he only went to see his own child in his bedroom. He didn't go in to bum him or anything so there's nothing creepy about it. It's Superman for God's sake! He's as good as they come.

I agree about the Lois character though. I don't like her at all and she's far too young. But otherwise I thought the film was amazing.

Superman by his very definition and history can been seen by certain, shall we say cynical types, as a sentimental ‘boring’ character. What with looking deep into the human condition, finding all that is credible about it and fighting to uphold those values and qualities. Truth, Justice all that stuff! Returns celebrates this aspect of the character and is probably the reason that it is construed by certain people as BORING. Today the antihero is championed more than the hero and Superman will always be the Boy Scout. The boring guy yeah?

Superman was always the lamest of all the superheros. The original movies actually injected some interest into the whole thing with Christopher Reeve's performances, the comedy aspects and the wonderfully fiesty Margot Kidder.

It had the gravity of the devastating beginnings/ endings on Krypton with Marlon Brando and Susannah York allied to the lightness of touch provided by Clark Kent and Gene Hackman's charmingly evil Lex. (Spacey doesn't even come close)

Singer's leaden rip off/ wankfest suffers really badly in comparison to Donner's original in terms of plot, acting and excitement.

Instead of an exciting new Superman movie that would take full advantage of current special effects tech to show us a Superman we could never get on film before. I expected villains actually capable of going head to head with Supes and the onscreen battles to be beyond spectacular!!! What I got was...a poor story that plays havoc with the Superman mythos, a sad, meloncholy, heart broken Superman, and an unneeded role for Singer's boytoy, Marsden. I could have probably overlooked some of the things singer did wrong, if he had done one simple thing: Make the movie FUN!!! Sadly, he didn't.

Can't wait to see the sequel, I'm sure it will live up to all expectations. i have faith in singer, I'm sure he'll be triumphant! But surely they should replace Bosworth as Lois Lane. She did not suit the character and did not do it any justice!!